Jesus is The Lord of the Harvest – Offering Message
Luke 10:1-4 (NIV) 1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
OFFERING MESSAGE:
I. Jesus is The Lord of the Harvest
1. They must be sent.
Luke 10:1 … and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
Romans 10:15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
1.1. Who and how and why do we send…
2. Ask the Lord of the Harvest.
Luke 10:2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
2.1. The harvest is plentiful. The harvest is plentiful. The harvest is plentiful.
2.2. Workers are few.
2.3. Workers are needed to work the harvest fields.
3. Pray earnestly for the harvest.
Matt 9:38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
3.1. For the harvest.
3.2. For people to have it on their heart to both go and fund the harvest. 3.3. Pray for your harvest.
3.4. Our harvest is connected to the harvest.
3.5. As Jesus is the Lord of the Harvest.
Gen. 8:22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”
4. Sowing into the harvest.
2 Corinthians 9:10-11 (ESV) 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
4.1. Sowing requires work.
4.2. He provides seed to the sower.
4.3. Because the sower will put in the work to sow the seed.
4.4. To increase your harvest.
5. Sending out workers requires a harvest.
5.1. Increase in our life requires harvest.
5.2. Seeing people saved and set free requires harvest.
5.3. We have to keep sowing into the harvest to reap a harvest.
MAIN MESSAGE:
II. The Lord of the Sabbath
Luke 6:1-5 (NIV) 1 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2 Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” 3 Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” 5 Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
1. Our Sabbath rest.
1.1. Religion has a way of confusing things and getting them backwards.
1.2. God worked creating everything that is in 6 days and on the seventh day
He declared it a sabbath and rested.
Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
1.3. The Lord did not rest because he needed rest but because we do.
1.4. As the ole saying goes “do what I say not what I do, which is just like religion, but God did what He needed us to do.
1.5. When religion becomes ridiculous.
1.6. I love that Jesus quoted what David, his servant, did.
1.7. David was held in higher regard than Jesus the Lord of the Sabbath standing and the Lord of David and standing in front of them.
2. The Lord of rest.
Luke 6:5 Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
2.1. The Lord gives His beloved rest.
Mark 2:27-28 (NKJV) 27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
2.2. I am beginning to think that either we take this rest or rest will be forced upon us.
2.3. ELA…: I find that no matter how invincible we think we are we are all about the same: Humans that require rest, food, water, encouragement, value, and a purpose. Some people clad it a little better than others but our time here on earth is roughing speaking the same. Not splitting hairs between 50 years or 75 years or even the grand old age of 100 years.
3. Jesus gives His beloved rest for their soul.
Psalms 127:1-2 (ESV) 1 Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
3.1. Unless the Lord builds the House.
3.2. There is a rest knowing that the Lord is the Master Builder.
3.3. All the striving and labor in the world can not compensate if the Lord is not the builder.
3.3.1. Rising early and going to sleep late for the sake of toil trying to get ahead….
3.3.2. Trying to build a name and be someone in this life.
3.4. One true treasure for anyone is to be able to lay your head on your pillow at night and sleep with the rest of God.
3.5. Ela… One the immediate fruits of salvation was the nights rest I began to have.
4. God has designed us need rest both in the natural and in the Spirit.
Heb 4:1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest,
4.1. Strive to enter my rest
4.1.1. “let us strive” indicates it may not be easy. lots of distractions. There is rest in hearing and responding to God each time.
4.2. This rest is found in the presence of God
4.3. Simply put: The Presence of the Lord gives rest.
4.4. Saint Augustine said “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
4.5. Moses said Ex 33:14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” NKJV
Conclusion:
Phil. 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
- A heart filled with anxiety…
- Anxiety is the enemy of rest.
- Unbelief robs us of rest…
- Be diligent to enter into His rest. His presence.
Heb. 3:18-19 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. NKJV
Heb. 4:7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.